News Nuggets

Newsletter of the Albuquerque Gem & Mineral Club

Volume 49 Number 1

January is a time for new beginnings with Janus looking into the future while reflecting on the year just past. Our last club event was the installation and scholarship dinner on December 7, 2001. Gwen Poe had a dinner with a Greek theme planned for the evening with Greek dancing provided by the Greek Orthodox Church here in town.

Gwen unfortunately took a bad fall in her garage about 3 hours before the dinner. She broke both her wrists while attempting to break her fall. She still has an external stabilizing device on her left wrist and she also has some numbness in her right hand. She told me that she had hoped to be driving by now but her left arm is too sensitive to any jostling to try that just yet.

Despite Gwen’s absence, the evening went as planned, with

Charlotte Cooper keeping the evenings events moving along.

Jim Winchell presented the two scholarship winners with their checks and the new board of directors was announced. Mr. Winchell handed me the president’s gavel (a wood rock pick) for my tenure as the club’s president for 2002.

Now for 2002!! We have the club show coming up on March 22-24 at the School Arts building on the New Mexico State Fairgrounds. We’re going to need volunteers signing up starting at the meeting on January 28. This is a different venue than in past years and we need an all out effort by all club members to make sure this is a success.

One event, once a year is all I am asking you to do. Just volunteer for one task and you won’t feel guilty when I call for volunteers at the next and the next and the next general meeting.

-Orlando

President/Editor- Orlando Garcia

home phone: 345-0520

e-mail: jabog@rt66.com

Past President- Jim Winchell

home phone: 831-6135

cell: 401-4111

e-mail: galleryofminerals@home.com

VP-Programs - Grant Kuck

home phone: 323-1520

VP-Field Trips- Kimberly Richie

home phone: 296-8847

home phone:

e-mail: RayDeMark@aol.com

VP-Special Events- Hank Miller

home phone: 255-7218

e-mail: rgmhgm2@quest.net

e-mail: beepbeep59@hotmail.com

Treasurer- Lloyd Keller

Home phone: 889-9357

Ad Hoc Board- Paul Hlava

home phone: 255-5478

e-mail: pfhlava@sandia.gov

Show Chair- Sallie Estill –

home phone: 792-8328

e-mail: atomic-cleaning@worldnet.att.net

Club Historian: Tom Katonak

Home phone: 898-5592

e-mail: tkatonak@macconnect.com

Jr. Club: Carl Johnson

home phone: 344-3178

The Club Newsletter; News Nuggets exists to assist the membership in communications and to provide information on club activities. Contributions from all members are welcome on any information that will promote club activities or that would be of interest to club members. News Nuggets is scheduled to be mailed prior to the monthly meeting. Mail news, articles or comments to: Orlando Garcia 1028 Solar Rd. NW, Albuquerque, NM 87107. E-mail: jabog@rt66.com

The Albuquerque Gem & Mineral Club was organized on January 22, 1944. The club is a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement and enjoyment of the Earth Sciences and associated subjects. Its primary purpose is the exchange of information and the furtherance of knowledge of Mineralogy, Fossils, Geology, Rock Cutting and Gem Faceting and to stimulate interest in the development of these studies.

All Meetings are held at the NM Museum of Natural History. The general meeting is held on the 4^th Monday of the month at 7:30 pm The Junior Club meets at 6:45pm prior to the general meeting. The public is welcome to both meetings. Board of Directors meetings are held at 7:30 pm on the first Monday of each month. (Call for location).

It’s hard to believe another year has gone by and it’s time for Tucson again followed closely by our own Treasures of the Earth 2002 show on March 22-24.

The theme of this year’s show at the convention center will be African minerals. The show runs from February 14 - 17. If you’ve never been to the Tucson show then you don’t know what you are missing. What used to be Congress Street Expo has largely moved to Electric Park at the east end of the city and right off the freeway going into town. This is a location not to miss either.

It’s time for everyone to start thinking about this year’s show and how to help make it another successful one. We need volunteers for everything so start thinking about how you can help out this year. This isn’t a long term dedication of time either. If you can help out 2 or 3 hours that will be great. We also need someone to coordinate the refreshments for 2002 and a new editor for the newsletter. Talk to me or Paul Hlava or Sallie Estill or Kimberly Richie at the general meeting on January 28.

Monday, 26Nov01

We were all glad to see Jim back and learning to walk on his new knee with some success. This was his last meeting as our President, the 4^th time for him, since joining our club in 1960. Although he didn’t get everything done this year, as he wanted, his philosophy as a board member as well as a member at large is to have fun and as he said "one needs a fire in the belly to make it an adventure".

After he introduced our guests we had some brief officers reports. The Blanchard Mine trip had 31 signed onto the list. Ray DeMark gave a very good review of the history and mineralogy of the mine prior to collecting underground in the number one adit.

Tonight we held the election for next year’s officers and since we had the unusual privilege of having two nominees for the position of President, Orlando Garcia and Sallie Estille, they both gave a short talk about themselves and what they wanted to do as Club President this next year. A ballot election ensued with 59 ballots cast including absentee ballots. The result was 26 for Sallie and 33 for Orlando. Pretty close especially considering 9 of those votes were absentee ballots. We know who

our real club supporters are now as we had all voters print out their names for the record. Along with the newly elected president, the rest of the Board members that had volunteered for the remaining four elected positions were brought up to the front of the room, introduced and by popular acclimation elected to their respective offices for this next year’s service to the club. They are as follows: V.P. of Programs – Grant Kuck, V. P. of Field Trips – Kimberly Richie and Ray DeMark, Secretary – Dave Moats, Treasurer – Loyd Keller.

Gwen Poe gave all the details on our December 7^th Christmas party, which will cost $3/person or $6/family. Mike Potts has arranged a program, which will be a participation affair. We will have a Chinese gift exchange at each table. This party is open to guests and as Gwen said "is an opportunity to show off who we are and what we do". Chandler Jones, just back from Nova Scotia, gave away specimens he collected while there.

Our speaker for tonight is Paul Hlava, a long time member and many times past president of our club. He grew up in the Chicago area, attended the University of Tulsa in Oklahoma then went to the Univ. of Wisconsin where he received his Bachelor of Science degree in geology and met his wife. He spent three years teaching at Wisconsin University

at River Falls then moved to New Mexico to attend UNM where he learned how to use the electron microscope under the tutelage of Klaus Keil plus learned how to microprobe meteorites some of Martian origin, Hawaiian basalts and peridotites. He studied the inclusions in diamonds by first burning them and then analyzed the grains to find out what kind of rock they came from. All this earned him a Master Degree and the knowledge to land a job at Sandia Labs using the microprobe, there now over 27 years and highly esteemed as the head of the Electron Microprobe Program with two machines in two different buildings. He does research on gems and in his spare time sells jewelry and stones with the help of his wife and girls.

Tonight’s talk was entitled "The Materials Known as Gemstones". Paul noted that most materials are valued for properties other than beauty but for gems of course beauty first. He defined a gem as an outstanding example of its kind, something prized, especially for great beauty or perfection. A jewel is an ornament of precious metal set with stones or finished with enamel and worn as an accessory of dress. Precious signifies something of great value or high price. In contrast, a gemstone is a mineral or petrified wood cut and polished used in jewelry. The properties (attributes)

of gemstones are great beauty, durability, rarity, & popularity or style. The BIG SIX are known by the (Paul’s) acronym DERSOP, which stand for diamonds, emeralds, rubies, sapphires, and opals & pearls each having its own special wonderful properties. Most gems are cut to reveal their beauty with the basic cuts being cabochon or faceted and some in a free form shape. The crystal shape influences the cut so as to waste the least material. Terminology used frequently such as Natural means from the earth, Synthetic – made by man with the "right stuff" (chemical), and Simulant – made by man with the "wrong stuff" usually meaning anything substituting to get the right color such as glass or plastic. Many stones are treated to enhance their beauty using various techniques such as radiation, heating, oiling, fracture filling, & combinations of the above. Most are good but some not so good. Treatments are different for each kind of stone and if this treatment remains permanent it is usually OK or good. Simulants appeared on the "second day" gems were used. So-called emerald crystal prisms in gold dating from the first century A.D. are really green glass! By the 1700’s a lot of people were working at alchemy trying to make things but it wasn’t until the 1800’s that people knew what things were made of

(chemistry). True synthetics date from the 1840’s and by 1902 the Venueil Process was mass-producing them and very good synthetic gems were being produced. A jeweler can sell, as a gemstone, anything he wants, he just has to be honest in his disclosure of the type of stone, quality, natural or man-made and if it has had any and what treatments. Some general hints as to what to look for when buying are as follows. Look for "clean" stones with no inclusions or cracks, pits or other minerals, or dirt. Look for well-cut and polished stones with good proportions. Most are cut shallow!! You can see through it to read a newspaper. With a good cut you shouldn’t be able to see through it as it reflects all light back up through the top. A good stone should be homogeneous throughout and undamaged or paper worn caused by much rubbing in transport. Hints for buying diamonds are covered by the 4 C’s. Look for Color, Clarity, Carat weight, and Cut of the diamond. Hints for buying colored stones are to look for color saturation which controls the cost, pale color – low cost vs. strong color – high cost. Avoid "Off" tones and watch for zoning. When buying, find someone you can TRUST, like Paul Hlava!

Door prizes were drawn for some really nice mineral

specimens while everyone socialized and enjoyed Sallie’s refreshments with the last meeting of the eventful year terminating at about 9:30p.m.

Secretary

- Dave Moats

Membership Renewals 2002

It’s that time again, folks!!! The membership renewals are due for 2002. Please fill out the renewal form on page 11 or fill out the form at the next meeting. Please include all the members of your household so we can get an idea how many people actually belong to the club. You can give your renewal form and $20 to Loyd Keller or me on the 28^th. I will continue to send everyone the News Nuggets until March when we will trim the list to paid members for 2002. Lets all try to get paid up early this year, OK?

The club was charging $3.00 per person for the Installation Dinner last December. If you did not pay Loyd Keller on the night of the dinner, please settle up with him ASAP.

Twenty-eight hardy souls ventured underground during the club field trip to the Blanchard mine in November. Collecting was limited in the Sunshine #1 adit to groups of 8-10 at a time to prevent overcrowding. Each group was given about an hour and a half of actual collecting time. The Sunshine #1 adit was driven by the Sunshine Mining Company of Idaho during the late 1950s as an exploratory tunnel (for lead ore). Specimens from this adit first achieved fame in 1979 when "techies" from New Mexico School of Mines brought several flats of galena xtals coated with drusy xtals of linarite to the Tucson Gem and Mineral show. They were instantly, hugely popular and a "feeding frenzy" of buying and selling of these specimens occurred. The Sunshine #1 adit was to achieve even greater fame in 1980 when Brian Huntsman and other found world class linarite xtals in the tunnel. Specimens from this find were to be sold for many

thousands of dollars and two of these specimens now reside in the Smithsonian collection.

Following the 1980 discovery a concerted effort was directed toward finding more linarite xtals in the adit (none were found). During this process, a tremendous amount of rock (muck) was dropped from the back (ceiling) of the adit. This material eventually almost closed the adit around the 200 feet point. Club members had to climb/crawl up this pile of muck to enter the first chamber of the adit. Another chamber beyond this also required some hands and knees crawling. The adit extends about another 100 feet beyond these chambers but is currently closed off by muck. A spectacular pocket of long, slender selenite xtals was found in this extension by Mike Sanders in January 1989. Pencil xtals to 10-12" long and 1/4" wide were found growing together in a jackstraw manner. The rare cadmium carbonate otavite was also found in this section of the adit with hydrozincite coated barite xtals. AGMC members were able to collect drusy linarite specimens from the second chamber and a couple of lucky club members found the elusive linarite coated galena xtals. Specimens of fluorite, galena, barite and brochantite were also collected. The Sunshine #1 adit would be hard to match for sheer

visual appeal. The walls with embedded purple and blue fluorite, glistening galena cubes and patches of green brochantite and blue chrysocolla provide quite an impact for a mineral collector. Those that were able to collect in the Sunshine #1 adit seemed to agree that it was quite an experience.

- Ray DeMark

February 23- The Mineral Museum at New Mexico Tech in Socorro and group lunch.

March 30- Mayflower Mine/Socorro Peak (permission pending)

April 27- Macy Mine/Hillsboro (campover)

June 1- (May Trip) Taylor Springs, Colfax County

June 29- Molycorp Mine/Questa (permission pending)

July 27- Summer Picnic at San Pedro Mine (permission pending)

August 31- Small Fry Mine, Rio Arriba County (near Abiqui on Labor Day weekend)

September 28- Old Priest Mine, Santa Fe County north of Santa Fe)

October 26- Chino Mine, Santa Rita, NM (permission pending)

November 16- Blanchard Claims, Bingham, NM

It was a dark and stormy night – and I thought we might have to cancel the trip! We drove out to Bingham the afternoon before- chasing showers tracking across the valley- then we spotted two rainbows and I stopped worrying.

Thirty-two of us congregated at the Bingham Rock Shop before 9 AM on Saturday December 1, 2001. The sun was out and the showers rinsed the dust off the rocks for us.

After parking near the collecting area at the top of the mountain the group dispersed to explore or signed up for the underground groups. The idea was to have small, manageable groups go into the mine at designated times so that everyone who wanted to go in had the opportunity. I’m happy to report everyone who went in, had a great time, and came out again!!

The most notable event, personally, happened at the end of the day. We had gone to the top of the ridge to make sure everyone knew it was time to go. Scott Wilson spotted a few pieces of the fabled smithsonite! Unfortunately, (or fortunately) everyone else had gone, but then so had the sun. It was a special end to a special day.

-Kimberly Richie

Our January field trip has morphed into the February trip. A few unrelated components cause it- primarily scheduling woes and the distinct chance of nasty weather, plus some folks who will be in Tucson before the end of the month.

WHERE: The Mineral Museum at New Mexico Tech in Socorro

WHEN: Feb. 23, 2002 Saturday

TIME: 9:00 AM

MEET: Macy Center parking lot

DIRECTIONS:I-25 south from Albuquerque, approximately 70 miles. Take the first Socorro exit #150. Turn right at the second traffic light, Bullock Blvd. After 3 or 4 stop signs you enter the college property. Macy Center is on the right. We will meet there and then proceed to the museum.

To give credit where it is due, Ray DeMark has arranged the tour with Dr. Virgil Lueth, curator of the museum and the state mineralogist. I’m sure there is something special in store for our visit.

Around noon we’ll migrate to Socorro Springs Brewery & Restaurant for lunch. Depending on the weather we may then be able to make a collecting stop, which is yet to be determined. Put in your order with Mother Nature now!! The Nancy Mine is a possibility, west of Socorro.

-Kimberly Richie

Show hours are 3/22:10-6, 3/23:10-6 and 3/24:10-5. This translates into 4-2 hour slots on Friday and Saturday and 3 –2 hour slots on Sunday which means we need 22 people with 2 people in each 2 hour time slot.

One person is needed to handle the money, give tickets, etc. and another to handle programs, answer questions, supervise door prize forms, give directions, etc.

I will be there all three days but may not always be at the door.

One advantage is that there will be only one entry door this year.

I will have a signup sheet for Admissions volunteers at the meeting on the 28^th. See me at the meeting for available time slots.

-Kimberly

We are still changing phone numbers for club information. Call 890-0948 for show information and general club information. Please call the Field Trip VP’s at their numbers on page 2 for monthly field trip information.

Mike Sanders is in charge of the club display cases for the upcoming show in March. If you are planning on having a display at this years show please call Mike at 256-1797 to reserve a case.

The silent auctions, which are conducted during our annual show, are significant moneymakers for the club. Gross sales have been between $1,500 and $1,800 in the last two years

The Game Plan – I will describe a mineral and you have to guess/decipher/research the name of the mineral and the answers to the other questions asked about uses, history, notable facts, etc. I expect the Top Guns in the club to be able to guess the name off the top of their heads. The learners will need a reference book or two. You will benefit most if you do not ask others for the answers but work it out for yourselves. When you have decided on the name you can compare notes with others or wait for the answers to be announced at the meetings or published in the News Nuggets. Good luck and have fun.

a member of the dolomite family of rhombohedral carbonates that formed from the alteration of primary sulfides. H = 3.4 to 4?, SG = 3.45, milky-white to colorless, pearly. It occurs as ½ mm, twisted, rhombohedral crystals exhibiting the form 10-14 (one, zero, bar one, four) associated with zincian dolomite, malachite, duftite, and dioptase in a world famous mine.

What is the name of the mineral?

What is the origin of the name?

What is the metal in the mineral?

What is the mineral used for?

Localities – (Just list the famous ones)

--NM –

--USA –

--World –

What is the name of the mineral? Stibnite

What is the metal in the mineral? Antimony

What is the metal used for? LOTS! Various alloys (pewter, type metal, antimonial lead for batteries, babbit, britannia metals, Pb-free solders, etc. The sulfide is used in fireworks, matches, percussion caps, vulcanizing rubber, and medicines. The oxide is used in pigments and glass making.

Localities – (Just list the famous ones)

--NM – none

--USA – CA, NV, and ID

--World – Ischinokawa, Japan; Hunan, China; Algeria, Borneo, Bolivia, Peru, and Mexico

Paul Hlava 020117

Enclosed is your club membership form for 2002. Please include all the names to be included in your ‘Family" membership. This information is required by the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies A.F.M.S. for insurance and dues purposes. Annual Dues are $20.00 per family and $10.00 per family for memberships beginning after June 1, 2002.

Last Name_____________________________ Renewal from 2001? Y N

Senior Member Names: 1.___________________________

2.___________________________

Junior Member Names: 1.___________________age______

2.___________________age______

3.___________________age______

If this is a renewal, is the News Nuggets going to the proper address? Y N

For corrections and new members, please fill in the following information.

Mailing Address: ______________________Apt. # ________

City:____________________ State: _______ ZIP + 4: _______-_____

Phone: (_____) _____-______ Please include. This is only for club use and not for any other purpose

e-mail Address: _____________________________

Annual Dues: Dues are $20.00 per family.

Send this form and check to: AGMC

January 28- Scott Wilson will give a talk on Opal Synthesis

The Albuquerque Gem & Mineral Club meets on the 4^th Monday of every month except December. All meetings are held at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Sciences. The meeting begins at 7:30 PM. There will be a short business meeting prior to the evening’s talk, which begins at approximately 8 PM.

Refreshments and door prizes will follow immediately after the talk. We have the room till 10:00 PM.

School Arts Building

New Mexico State Fairgrounds